Tembo Palace Hotel

Hotels
Independent
8.2 (53 reviews)
Kenyatta Road, Shangani, Zanzibar Town, Zanzibar, 3974 , Zanzibar Town , TZ

Facilities

Full-service spa
Boat tours nearby
Area shuttle (surcharge)
Free WiFi
24-hour front desk
Terrace
Garden
Luggage storage
Concierge service
Wheelchair accessible
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Exceptional service
Great location
Cons:
Room view issues
Cleanliness concerns

Categories

Cleanliness
8.01
Some concerns owing to the view of garbage mentioned.
Service
9.48
Exceptional service during check-in and overall hospitality described.
Location
9.02
Located within walking distance to Forodhani, generally safe and humble area.
Room Quality
7.47
View issues noted, recommend choosing a room with balcony or city view.
Amenities
9
Standard quality for this hotel tier.
Value for Money
8.96
Standard quality for this hotel tier.
Food and Beverage
9.01
Standard quality for this hotel tier.
Overall Experience
8.68
Despite some concerns, overall positive recommendations.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-08 18:28

Property Description

Escape to an oasis of tranquility at Tembo Palace Hotel, located in the heart of vibrant Zanzibar Town, Stone Town.

Indulgent Spa Services Relax and rejuvenate at our full-service spa, where skilled therapists await to pamper you with soothing massages, ensuring a perfect start or end to your day.

Culinary Delights Savor the rich flavors of local and international cuisine at our renowned Tembo Bahari Restaurant. With 24-hour room service and a cozy café, your dining experience is tailored to your appetite.

Comfortable Accommodations Retreat to one of our 15 stylish, air-conditioned rooms, complete with minibars and flat-screen televisions. Enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi and cable programming, ensuring a relaxing escape that keeps you connected.

Discover the magic of Zanzibar and make Tembo Palace Hotel your home away from home. Book your stay today!

Important information:

  • Pool access available from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
  • No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
  • Alcohol is not served at this property.
  • A car is not required for transportation to and from this property.
  • Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.
  • Contactless check-in and contactless check-out are available.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets not allowed

  • Pets

    Service animals not allowed

  • Check-in & Check-out

    Contactless check-out is available

  • Food & Beverage

    No alcohol served onsite

  • General

    Cashless transactions are available

See all policies

Location

Guest Reviews

8.2
Based on 53 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.01
Service: 9.48
Location: 9.02
Room Quality: 7.47
Amenities: 9
Value for Money: 8.96
Food and Beverage: 9.01
Overall Experience: 8.68
K
Karim family
10
Pros:

Seamless check in with exceptional service. I failed to do my due diligence and got a room that faced alleys with adjacent dwellings that had much desirable walls requiring paint and garbage below. I would still recommend Tembo Hotel but ensure you select one with city view and/or balcony as the property does have multiple sections. Don't hesitate to reach out to them as they do respond back. People in general are very humble and respectful.

2025-06-12 via Nuitee
K
Karim family
10
Pros:

The check in and the service by staff was exceptional. I would, however, advice any guests planning to stay at this hotel to ensure they select the section which provides a balcony and/or city view. I missed doing my due diligence and ended up in a room with pretty bad views of the alley where one can see garbage also. The hotel was fully booked hence nothing else was avaliable for us to switch. Otherwise I would recommend this hotel and the plus point being Forodhani was within walking distance. Safe with no issues. People in Zanzibar are humble and respectful.

2025-06-12 via Nuitee
R
Richard
8
Pros:

Helt kurrant! God beliggenhet, kurrant hotell.

2025-06-07 via Nuitee
V
Verified traveler
2
Not a good stay!
Pros:

The hotel is on the beach. Little did I know that we would get a room in another building behind the hotel. Air condition did not cool enough. The safe did not work…they tried to fix it… they could not. Only 3 towels, only 3 water bottles. We were 4 people. Bathroom not clean. Floors not clean. Not nice pillow. Restaurant got everything about our order wrong. Food not nice. The smell of diesel when we had lunch was horrible. Sorry to say, but I Can not recommend this hotel.

2025-01-21 via Nuitee
L
Linda
6
Pros:

Stora rum och helt ok sängar.
Tyvärr var jag sjuk under min vistelse men övriga sällskapet tyckte frukosten var rätt tråkig. Frukt och sötsaker

2025-01-19 via Nuitee
M
Monica partner
10
Pros:

Just beautiful and perfect

2024-11-19 via Nuitee
D
Danielle
10
Pros:

Wonderful staff that were helpful and accommodating in many ways. I needed to store my luggage for a few extra days and they graciously agreed and it was kept safe. No elevator, but the porters were so helpful during check-in/out that it wasn’t a problem. The breakfast area, pool and beach were beautiful and overall this was a very convenient location. Room was huge and clean with adjustable air conditioning. I would definitely recommend and stay there again!

2024-08-24 via Nuitee
I
Isabelle
8
1 jour à stone town
Pros:

Hôtel plus que convenable
Grande chambre, par contre nous avons été mis ds un autre bâtiment.
Assez vieux
Salle de bain immense
Près de la plage.

2024-08-13 via Nuitee
J
John Henry J
10
Beautiful centrally located hotel fun for kids
Pros:

We picked this hotel for convenience to the ferry terminal and Stone Town. It seems to be the main hotel in Stone Town, centrally located to tourist areas, beach, and restaurants. It is also artistically very beautiful in terms of architecture and layout. We were in apartments adjacent to the main hotel, accessed via an alley. Kids in our group loved the three pools at both buildings, as well as the billiards and foosball table, which together provided many hours of fun. Staff in both buildings were friendly and eager to help. Rooms were beautiful and clean. We used this as a launching point for a sandbar visit, a snorkeling excursion, and a walking tour. The hotel very kindly accommodated us with a changing room to use after checkout after returning from an excursion -- much appreciated.

Note that a small tax has to be paid locally - USD 15 per person per night.

The only downside was that the area outside the hotel is full of vendors who aggressively seek customers almost 24/7.

2024-07-20 via Nuitee
C
Christa
10
Wonderful stay!
Pros:

This hotel is perfectly located for an easy walk all over town. Choice of three pools and fantastic restaurant with breakfast included. Lovely breakfast buffet! The building is immediately across the street from its sister hotel, which is right on the beach and provides beach access. Rooms are spacious and clean. Hotel staff is wonderfully accommodating and attentive. We would definitely return here! Architecture and decorating is classic Zanzibar and charming!

2024-07-14 via Nuitee
S
Sydni partner
10
Pros:

We were super happy with our stay at Tembo Palace, we could use the facilities at both hotels, close to everything 5 minutes walk away from the night market. The hotel is on the beach front which is perfect, restaurant and drinks was great and staff were really efficient and friendly. Breakfast was great, buffet and omelettes/waffles made on request. Rooms were cleaned every day. Would recommend this hotel

2024-07-02 via Nuitee
A
Abiy
10
Pros:

Excellent breakfast buffet and great location

2024-06-06 via Nuitee
M
Mumtaz
10
Pros:

Hotel is in a good location staff very courteous very clean rooms
Just one thing no elevators lots of stairs to climb elevators should be added otherwise excellent

2024-06-01 via Nuitee
V
Verified traveler
8
Pros:

Utrolig hjelpsomme og vennlig personale. Ingenting var et problem når vi spurte om noe.

Frokost og mat ok.

Noe slitasje på hotellet, men ok renslighet.

Er en del selgere rundt hotellet, både ved stranden og inngangsparti.

Bor her gjerne igjen da personalet var så snille og hjelpsomme!

2024-04-24 via Nuitee
W
WAYNE
4
Pros:

The breakfast was bad, and the hotel was under construction. The beds were vey hard.

2024-04-07 via Nuitee
J
jamila family
2
Pros:

If you have the choice DO NOT waste your money on this property. Rooms are claustrophobic, no proper ventilation, washroom is a senior nightmare with all the steps, stray cats peeing on the restaurant floor. They have the ocean front and another hotel behind and if you don’t know the difference and you book for the other it is at the back, in a hot room with no elevators (they made my senior parents climb 2 flights of stairs) until their changed out room…then made us wait until 9pm after travelling to get a room with the staff attitude. The wifi hardly works. To add to it the restaurant when you order a meal gives you the option to pay in US or local currency. They change more for the conversion than the live exchange!! It is an antique looking building but that isn’t an excuse for the dirt. Their mosquito nets have the same dead bugs on the top for days. Additionally there is zero sound proofing. Waste of money! We couldn’t not get out of there fast enough!!!

2024-03-13 via Nuitee
M
Margaret family
10
Pros:

Great property and staff.

2024-03-01 via Nuitee
S
Susan
10
Lovely after a dodgy start
Pros:

We loved our stay. We had a triple room in Tembo Palace, which is about a minutes walk from the main Tembo Hotel. It has its own pool (which is smaller but quieter than the main one) but breakfast and the restaurant is in the main hotel. Our room was huge with three king-sized beds and a large bathroom. A/c and fans were effective.
Both hotels are beautifully restored buildings. The alley leading to ours didn’t look great initially but we always felt safe walking back and forth. It’s about 30 seconds from the Freddie Mercury museum.
The staff were brilliant throughout with a special mention for Pieter, our waiter on a couple of occasions. Breakfast is awesome with lots of choice and eggs made to order.
Our only disappointment was on arrival when the bathroom was covered with what looked like large flakes of paint - bath, floor, basin, loo - everything. It was 3am so we really couldn’t be bothered to report it then. When we did next day, it was quickly cleared but it was a disturbing reflection on how rooms are prepared. Having said that, the actual bedroom seemed clean. Oh, and it had a fridge - lovely for keeping water and juice cool.

2024-02-22 via Nuitee
K
kareem
8
Pros:

It was nice very busy hotel

2023-12-20 via Nuitee
K
Karim family
8
Pros:

Good location in the center of Stowntown.
but no lift, incase u have walking issues, and no liquor license of bar!

2023-11-21 via Nuitee